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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809487">Love Languages, and considerations on one Zolf Smith</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/oscarlovesthesea/pseuds/oscarlovesthesea'>oscarlovesthesea</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M, Pining, first of a collection of prompts, i wrote this tiny thing in like a little over an hour but I hope you'll like it, no beta we die like men, set in early japan-ish I guess?, very subtle attempts at courtship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:28:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809487</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/oscarlovesthesea/pseuds/oscarlovesthesea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>First one of a collection of promts - the prompt for this one was : Wilde tries to court Zolf by getting him good ingredients to cook with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love Languages, and considerations on one Zolf Smith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So! I asked for prompts to kickstart myself into writing again, and now I'm filling them out in random order - this one was by Magpie. Weirdly enough, this was my first time writing from Wilde's point of view, which was an experience. I didn't get these beataed, but I feel weird not to give Enea a shout out, so Enea, if you're reading this: I love you!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zolf likes to cook.</p><p>He’s subtle about it, pretending he does it because the owner of the inn is incompetent or because he has nothing better to do, but Oscar has built part of his life around reading people so that he could write them neatly into columns of his paper, and he sees the way Zolf relaxes when he is in the kitchen, the little half smile that shines on his face as he loses himself in the preparation.</p><p>Sometimes Oscar finds that he is almost jealous, missing the time he could lose himself into something so completely – writing used to do that for him, but there has barely been time in the past two years, and even when the time was right, the mood wasn’t. But mostly, Oscar likes looking at Zolf’s peaceful expression when he is in the kitchen, at the little embarrassed, proud smile he gives after the others compliment him on his cooking (which Oscar has to admit, personal biases aside, is pretty damn good).</p><p>He likes a quite a lot of things about Zolf Smith, he’s come to realise in the past few months working together. What had started as nothing more than a spark of amusement, all the way back in Paris, maybe even London, has quietly and slowly burgeoned up to a small flame that now blazes every time Zolf actually laughs at one of his jokes, and at the way he rolls his eyes when Carter does something particularly stupid, or at the way he furrows his brow when he’s absorbed in one of his Campbell novels – yes, Oscar is aware that this is now developing into a situation, but it’s fine, really. He has it under control, and the mission comes first.</p><p>Still, when he goes out shopping for the inn – something he’s taken to doing fairly regularly, relishing the chance to get some air and some time away from it all while still feeling like he is doing something useful – he lets himself linger slightly longer than usual at the food stalls. There is some high quality fish that’s been brought in today, nicer and more expensive than what they normally get, and usually Oscar only buys what’s strictly necessary for the mission, but he supposes morale is as important as anything else. And, well, he’s sort of curious about what Zolf would do with it, so he buys the fish, and some nice spices, and any other basic ingredients, and tells himself that it’s for the sake of the mission.</p><p>That night, Zolf banishes the inn’s owner from the kitchen and dishes out what’s possibly the best meal they’ve had since they came to Japan. Oscar waits until everyone else has left the table before putting down his chopsticks and looking up at Zolf.</p><p>“Would you like some help with the washing up?” He asks, and Zolf’s eyebrows quirk up at that, and Oscar knows, he’s taken him by surprise. Maybe in a different world, Oscar thinks. Maybe in a different world where he hasn’t purposefully added like an utter ass when he first met Zolf, in a different world where they have time to actually <em>know</em> each other – maybe in that world, things between them are different.</p><p>“You sure?” Zolf asks.</p><p>“You cooked beautifully. It’s only fair.”</p><p>Zolf’s face opens in a brief, almost embarrassed smile, and he mutters, “Yeah, uhm – alright,” before heading to the kitchen, gesturing for Oscar to follow.</p><p>“Why did you buy it in the first place?” Zolf asks as he washes dishes, and Oscar dries. “The nicer stuff – you don’t usually get that.”</p><p>“I have always been passionate about the finer things in life.” Oscar says without even thinking, the words leaving his mouth like it’s instinct. It’s not a lie, exactly, and gods know he has never shied away from dressing the truth up a little bit, but after a moment, he adds, “That, and, I suppose, I wanted to see what you’d do with it.”</p><p>“Why?” Zolf asks, the surprise obvious in his voice.</p><p><em>That </em>is not a question Oscar can answer honestly, so he focuses on the plate he is drying, and says, “Does there have to be a reason? I like to think we are friends, at this point. I suppose I just wanted to do something for a friend.”</p><p>Zolf huffs, in what Oscar initially assumes is a sigh, but soon turns out to be a laugh as he puts down the plate he’s holding and pokes Oscar in the ribs.</p><p>“Yes, you dramatic twit, we <em>are </em>friends,” Zolf’s hands are still wet with the water from the washing up, but Oscar can’t bring himself to mind. “That can’t have been <em>that </em>hard to admit.”</p><p>Oscar rolls his eyes, trying to come up with a reply and finding himself short for words. When he looks back, Zolf is staring at him, brow slightly furrowed.</p><p>“Since we are friends,” Zolf says slowly, “does that mean you are obliged to eat whenever I cook?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Zolf shakes his head. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you hole yourself up in your study and forget to eat,” he says.</p><p>“I don’t do it that often.” Oscar protests faintly.</p><p>“’Dunno about that,” Zolf says, “if we want any chance at – reversing whatever this is, you need to stay healthy.”</p><p>Oscar sighs. “I didn’t peg you for such a mother hen.”</p><p>“And I didn’t peg you for an actual thoughtful friend, but we are finding out a lot about each other, these days.” Zolf’s eyes latch onto Oscar’s as he talks, and linger for a moment too long before he looks away. For just a second, Oscar wonders if his ears are turning red or if it’s simply a trick of the light.</p><p>“Well, if there ever was a time for it, I suppose this is it,” Oscar lets out.</p><p>Zolf gives him a half smile – that sad, hopeful smile that he does, the smile in which you can see how hard he’s still trying despite everything.</p><p>“Yeah, at the end of the world,” he says. “With friends.”</p><p>In a different world, maybe, things between them are different. But even just this one – Oscar doesn’t mind it so much.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As always, you can find me on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/oscarlovesthsea">oscarlovesthsea</a> . Hopefully more prompt fills to come soon!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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